Gnats and Fruit Flies..... Annoyed

[garrett_reukauf]

I know it's common and just nature, but theres gotta be a way to keep these pesky lil things out of my house. I know they are attracted to garbage can, dirty sinks and dishes, stagnant water, uncovered food. BUT!!!! I have none of these. Yes my garbage can is in the kitchen but it has a lid on it. I dont have any food left out in the open or uncovered. If I do throw food out I scrape it in to a seperate lil baggie, tie it up, then toss in the garbage can. I keep my sinks and drains clean, wiping them out with hot dish soap water (Dawn w/ bleach) and I dont leave water standing in sinks. All my dirty dishes get rinsed off and put in the dishwasher right away.
With as much of a clean freak my wife and I are I dont understand why, or how, we keep having the annoying little gnats and fruit flies in the home.
I know you'll have given me some great advice in the past. Does anyone have any safe, non toxic remedies I could try. I looked at Walmart and Lowes for some type of chemical safe for indoor use, but the only thing I have found for these guys is not safe for use in living spaces.
Anybody have any ideas????? Please!!!???!!! I'm getting desperate here, HEHE!
I will be out on the road and wont be able to read your replies until I get back, so THANK YOU in advance ya'll!
Garrett

[Yanita]

Hi,

When you buy fruit and vegetables be sure to rinse them off before placing the fruit in a bowl. On occasion these products might have eggs on them.

Store your potatoes in something other than the plastic bag they come in. I have mine in a decorative wicker basket setting near an AC vent in the summer.

As to how to get rid of them...well I have only had them once and it was because a potato had rolled under the hutch without my knowledge. I just kept swatting at them and then eventually they were gone...sorry not alot of help.

Have you done a google on them?

Yanita

[Serena]

I use those hanging paper strips for catching flies and they help. It seems like all fruit attracts little flying bugs at the right time of year. When it gets to that season here, I tend to keep the fruit in the fridge. Also, I don't eat bananas in the summer. They attract the most fruit flies and eating them makes one very attractive to mosquitos.

If I run across any nifty solutions, I'll post them.

Here's a starter link with a few home-made solutions:

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf000317.tip.html

More DIY remedies:

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/03/03jul21b.cfm

[appletonbill]

What is in bananas that attracts mosquitos? Just like to know what to avoid when camping up nort again.

[tnt17]

we had a terrible time with gnats/fruit flies, around memorial day weekend and before. i used some spray, after a few 'local remedy' tricks didn't pan out. worked ok. finally, we went out of town, so i ended up placing 3 fogger's in the house, cracking the window for an hour, and coming back later that day. no bugs/fleas etc.

[Yanita]

Hi Appleton,

I have no idea about the bananas. BUT, if you have a heart problem eat a banana a day, great source of potassium!

Yanita

[Serena]

Haven't been able to find out exactly how eating bananas makes one more attractive to mosquitos. I just don't eat them during mosquito season and it helps. I also take B-vitamins and don't eat sugar.

Still haven't run across anything that is definitive about keeping gnats and fruit flies out of the house.

I run air purifiers and small fans and don't have trouble. All I keep out is peaches, apricots, and Bosc pears. So far, no bugs.

Will post any solutions, if I find them.

[Harry]

Hi

Around here we have a lot of sand gnats aka no-see-ums. A 20/20 fine mesh screen keeps them out. Costs a little more but sure worth it here.

Harry

[oldfart]

Folks I just thought I'd jump in here as I just read the latest issue of Family Handyman and had to share this with ya'll! First and foremost...most of the time what ya'll might be calling "fruit-flies" ain't fruit-flies at all! They're a small fly that hangs around sink drains and traps. Yup...they look like fruit-flies..they ain't! The local exterminaters call them "sour-trap-flies". Now..how to git rid of them pesky buggers and many other summertime pests??? Next time yer in the grocery store pick up a half-dozen fresh lemons. Yes..lemons. Bring them rascals home and toss them in the blender..rinds and all....and grind them into mush. Pour some of the slurry down the drain..that'll take care of the sour-trap flies. Fact is they don't like the lemon scent ner the acid. Now..got a problem with ants? Same remedy...ants hate lemons..so does roaches, thrips and even common house-flies! Next time ya go to scrub that kitchen floor....squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into that scrub-bucket along with yer usual floor cleaner and mop it up. Don't know why it works...tried it myself and by danged it does work. Go figger? Audie..the Oldfart...

[Yanita]

Hey Ole FArt,

Same as you don't always need to know why it works so long as it does...

Thanks for the info,

Yanita

[Serena]

Audie, thanks for the tip. I'll be lemoning.